Ask the Author: Mark Cameron
Answered Questions (5)
Mark Cameron
My all-time favourite is Charlie and Harriet from the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer." My wife and I modelled our wedding after that movie, and I've always loved how quirky both the movie and the couple were. I'm having a much harder time thinking of a favourite couple from a book. I might have to go with Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter, since I got to see their relationship develop over the course of seven books and one play. And I read the whole series quite recently, so they're still fresh in my mind...
Mark Cameron
Hi, and thanks for asking. My answer is quite complicated, because I generally think of myself being most creative at night, and yet I do most of my writing in the morning. In the past, as a software developer and as a musician, I have done most of my productive work in the late evening and early hours of the morning (typically 9pm - 3am). I always found those hours to provide an ideal combination of creativity and focus. But when I dove into writing seriously in 2012, family life prompted me to get up early to write ... and forego the late nights whenever possible. Writing has now become a discipline -- on writing days, I get up, go straight to the computer, and type until my creativity finds me. I don't "wait for the muse" or veer off from a day's plan to write when inspiration strikes me. Instead, I bank creative thoughts throughout the day, and occasionally open a manuscript to add a few notes as reminders for the next time I write. But in general, I write when I plan to write, and I trust the process.
So, to provide a brief summary of my long-winded reply ... I am basically a morning writer now, much to my own surprise!
So, to provide a brief summary of my long-winded reply ... I am basically a morning writer now, much to my own surprise!
Mark Cameron
As a creative outlet, writing requires no special resources and is devoid of obstacles (beyond those constructed by my own mind). Unlike music or painting or photography ... or so many other art forms ... there is nothing particularly complex about the act of writing. It's just me and the page. No messy supplies or expensive equipment. Just pure creativity. I liken writing to soccer, which is ubiquitous for its simplicity ... yet so incredibly difficult to master.
Mark Cameron
I sit down and start writing. I don't pen a masterpiece every time I try, but whenever I write I tend to move a story forward -- or else I find something else to write about. Worst case, I step back and acknowledge that I must be stuck for a reason.
Sometimes I channel whatever emotion I'm feeling into a blog post, or I delve into my mind for the source of my block -- there is always a source! -- which tends to fuel new content. Writer's block can often lead to breakthroughs, if we submit ourselves to it and let it guide us down paths that we might not otherwise have thought to explore.
Sometimes I channel whatever emotion I'm feeling into a blog post, or I delve into my mind for the source of my block -- there is always a source! -- which tends to fuel new content. Writer's block can often lead to breakthroughs, if we submit ourselves to it and let it guide us down paths that we might not otherwise have thought to explore.
Mark Cameron
I've switched gears entirely ... taking a swing at a very whimsical rom-com about a lovable loser who is determined to win back his ex-wife. Like everything else I do in life, I love variety -- and challenging myself in new ways. I see my third book (which I am already researching for) being more similar to Goodnight Sunshine.
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